Many people enjoy tracing their genealogy which often reveals very interesting surprises. Some discoveries may include prominent individuals and tucked deep in the tree somewhat shady ones. One cannot escape the reality that this is probably true of anyone’s family tree. This becomes evident when there is a family reunion. The good and bad ones tend to show up.

The most interesting and important of all genealogies is found in the Gospel of Matthew. It is that of the humanity of Christ. Though the promise of a Savior had been announced first in the Garden, there was no divine revelation as to how this would be accomplished.

There had to be a “seed line” from Adam, and with the murder of Abel, God continued His Plan through Seth.

It was not until the time of Abraham that God formed a new genetic pool called the Jew. The Scriptures reveal that Abraham, first called Abram, became a believer in the pre-incarnate Christ while living in an idolatrous home in the land of Ur. “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Gen 12:1-3 NIV). His response to this divine revelation was rather simple … “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:3 NIV).

Several decades passed and … “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers” (Gen 17L1-2 NIV).

The increase of Abraham’s progeny included some interesting characters. For example, Matthew records that Jesus was descended from Isaac, Jacob and then Judah. The apostle included a brief statement about the latter … “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar” (Mt 1:3 NIV). The birth of these twins was the result of an act of incest involving Judah and his daughter-in-law.

Also in the family tree of Jesus was Rahab the prostitute of Jericho, who became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth the Moabite and from whom descended King David. “The LORD declares to you [David] that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam 7:11b-13 NIV).

By the time of Joseph and Mary, both the legal and blood line of David had become obscured to the nation but not to God. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Gal 4:4-5 NIV). Mary, descended from David’s son Nathan, would give birth to the humanity of Christ. Joseph, a descendant of Solomon, would care for the material and spiritual well-being of Mary, Jesus, and later his four brothers and at least two sisters.

It probably comes to one’s mind as to why Matthew records the names of both the honorable and dishonorable progeny through which the Savior would come into the world? God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth. No racial, national entity nor individual within those groups would be excluded from the Divine blessing … “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12) NKJV).